Taxes and Fees

At Fort Collins Connexion, we are committed to providing our customers with the highest quality services – gigabit-speed internet, phone and live TV – at competitive prices.

We also believe in transparency, which is why we are sharing more information about what you will find on your monthly bill.  Listed under phone and video services on your bill, you will see taxes and fees collected by Connexion. (There are no taxes and fees on internet).

Taxes are imposed by federal, state, local, and municipal governments, and vary based on where you live and the services you receive. Certain surcharges, such as mandated 911 surcharges, also fall under this category. We are required to bill you directly for those charges on behalf of the relevant authority.

Similarly, assessments are billed on behalf of the government and collected through customer fees. The Federal Universal Service Fund surcharge is an example of one of those fees, with the amount calculated as a percentage of the bill.

Fees collected by Connexion, such as the Access Recovery Charge, are authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), while other fees may be used by Connexion to defray the cost of providing a particular service.

Below is a list of common fees, taxes and other charges, along with their explanations.

Taxes, Fees and Surcharges

All Services (Excluding Internet):

City Sales Tax (Fort Collins)

State Sales Tax (Colorado)

County Sales Tax (Larimer County)

Phone Taxes & Fees:

Federal Excise Tax
A tax assessed by the U.S. government on telecommunications services. Proceeds go to the US Treasury General Revenue Fund. Currently 3%.

Federal Universal Service Charge
This charge helps Connexion recover its contribution to the FUSF, which is a federal fund that ensures the availability of affordable communications services to low-income and rural customers (as well as eligible schools, libraries, and health care providers). It is neither government-mandated nor a tax.

State Universal Service Fund
This surcharge is a funding mechanism for the state of Colorado’s Universal Service Fund (USF), which helps fund telecommunications services to the rural, high-cost areas of the state to help keep local exchange service reasonably priced for all residents.

911 Service Fee – LETA
This fee helps states and localities fund their 911 and E911 systems, along with other emergency services.

911 Service Fee Colorado
The State of Colorado passed a new house bill requiring a 911 surcharge for emergency telephone service. This surcharge will help the state to continue to update the technology for emergency telephone service for all system users.

988 Surcharge Colorado
As part of a new federal law, the State of Colorado passed a new house bill requiring the implementation of the 988 national suicide prevention lifeline network. 988 will make it easier for people to get help from trained health professionals safely and quickly.

Telephone Occupation Tax
The Telephone Occupation Tax is levied against every telephone utility company engaged in the business of furnishing local exchange telephone service within the City.

Telecommunications Relay Service
This surcharge helps fund communication solutions for hearing- and speech-impaired individuals.

Federal Access Charge
Also known as the Subscriber Line Charge, this charge was instituted in 1984 to cover the costs of a portion of the local phone network. The FCC caps the maximum price that a company may charge for this. This is not a government charge or tax.

TV Taxes & Fees

FCC Regulatory Fee
Fees collected annually by the FCC from cable operators to reimburse the FCC for administering its regulatory responsibilities under the Communications Act of 1934. FCC rules permit cable/video operators to recover the regulatory fees from subscribers in 12 monthly installments.

PEG Support Fee
Public, educational and governmental (PEG) access channel fees are assessed by cable franchising authorities for costs associated with those local channels.

Franchise Fee
Franchise fees are paid to local governments as compensation for utility companies use of the public rights-of-way and easements. The Federal Cable Act authorizes cable operators to collect from customers the full amount of franchise fees paid to local governments.

Broadcast TV Fee
The Broadcast TV Fee is a pass-through fee reflecting charges assessed to Connexion by the owners of local broadcast or local “network-affiliated” TV stations like ABC, NBC and CBS. While broadcast stations distribute their signals over the air using free spectrum granted to them by the federal government, they charge Connexion significant amounts to carry their TV signals.

Regional Sports Fee
This fee is based on our cost of providing regional sports networks in our channel lineup. The Regional Sports Network Fee is not included as a part of our pricing and may increase due to the escalating fees charged by the sports networks. You will receive advance notice before an increase takes effect.